


Nightfall

by arixng



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, SixTONES (Band)
Genre: Dreams, Insomnia, M/M, Mentions of Murder and Suicide, Nightmares, Paranoia, and breaking down, and taiga being god's grace, basically just read about hokuto suffering, crime and forensics setting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:29:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29897703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arixng/pseuds/arixng
Summary: When the line between dreams and reality begins to blur, the long nights become the most dreaded hours
Relationships: Kyomoto Taiga/Matsumura Hokuto
Kudos: 9





	1. Throbbing

**Author's Note:**

> so I wrote this way waaaay back, so let's pretend Taiga's still blonde.   
> (and let's also pretend he can drive)

The first time, Hokuto didn’t bother to think of the unease brewing at the back of his mind. It was nothing. It didn’t mean anything -or rather, it _shouldn’t _\- so there was no need for such activities.__

The curtains weren’t properly met at the center, leaving enough space for the rays of light to pass through and conveniently land on where his face was close to. The heat had roused him from an ungratifying slumber. Not a good start, he thought.

Standing on his two feet, he made his way to the bathroom and noticed the pinching sensation in the junction of his neck and shoulder. Perhaps he had slept in the wrong position? It didn’t matter. It would go away with a stretch. He had dealt with worse.

But as the day went by, a part of him suspected that his irritability could be traced back to that morning.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
The second time was six days after the neck pain. This time, however, the pain had transferred to his head.

Before two drowsy eyes had the chance to open, a sudden ache had burst at his temples. Grunting at the pain, Hokuto had slowly propped himself up into a sitting position and brought his hands up to massage the ache away. It wasn’t like he hasn’t experienced headaches before. They came as frequently as one would expect when having to be in the pleasure of a crowd or company at work that contributed nothing but a racket. This one, however, was different. He could tell as he bit his lip, attempting to box the pain yet feeling like it was slipping out of the four corners.

Walking to the sink, he searched through the medicine cabinet for the bottle of aspirin and forcibly twisted the cap open to pop a pill in his mouth. It had been a while since he deemed it necessary to take medication. Often enough, his will-power was enough to make the discomfort subside. Impractical as it was, the thought of needing external aid was a sign of weakness and reliance. But the throbbing, as well as the fact that he had just woken up, was enough to cloud his judgment. Just this once, he chose not to mind his ideals. Either way, he really couldn’t care when his vision was making him see two of himself in the mirror.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
“Perhaps it’s time to take a break.”

Refusing to look at the source of the voice, Hokuto remained focused on the screen. Though it was half-past eight in the evening and he could really go home now, being advised to do so skewed him to think otherwise. He had his own stubborn autonomy in dealing with his schedule, so Shintaro could just leave him alone.

Hokuto had his tendencies of being unreasonable sometimes.

“Tanaka’s team will be sending a revised version of that tomorrow. For now, you can leave the summarizing to us.” The said report was flashed on Hokuto’s screen, showing the autopsy of a young woman who had been stabbed in multiple areas while she was asleep. Homicide was the initial hypothesis but the previous report from the scene investigators stated that the knife had her own fingerprints and nothing else. Another problem lied on accounts stating that the women seemed to be undiagnosed with any psychological disorders for the case to be easily classified as suicide. Post-mortem toxicology reports were clear too. A similar case had occurred two weeks ago, but two times weren’t enough to be written as a pattern. If a third happens and they suddenly have those notorious serial killers on their list, maybe Hokuto would show a lot more interest. Another mystery solved meant purging another roach in the streets.

Shintaro coughed. Hokuto finally turned his head to pay him attention so he didn’t have to hear any more noise. “Since when did I ask for your opinion on how I go about my day?” Technically, it was evening. But Hokuto wasn’t about to have any of that.

“But you’ve been here since 8-!”

Standing abruptly from his chair, his visual perception distorted for a split second. He squeezes his eyes shut as he steadies himself, fingers gripping his seat tight until his knuckles are turning white, then he changes his mind. Hokuto turns back to Shintaro pretending nothing happened. “Fine. If you really wish for me to go that much, I’ll leave the clean up to you.” Surprised by his boss’s sudden change, Shintaro nods and bids Hokuto a safe trip back home before the lithe figure leaves the office.

He hadn’t noticed the time passing by so quickly if he were to be honest. He had meant to leave earlier but it was like his mind chose to forget the minutes passing. It wasn’t as if he was preoccupied with the reports and emails he had to read through. Though they were piling up, he chose whether or not to devote much attention to them or pass it to his underlings. It bothered him that he had allowed his awareness to slip. It was a sign of irresponsibility and a lack of control.

As he was inserting an arm into the sleeve of his coat, he felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder. “You’re still here?” said a voice from behind him. Turning his head to glare at whoever had the audacity to touch him just like that, the intensity diminished and his irritable mood subdued upon seeing the familiar face. The man behind him did have that effect on him after all these years.

“I don’t see why I shouldn’t.” The poorly hidden excitement from the smaller man’s grin was something that took years of getting used to. It just meant he was up to something, like some playful mischief that didn’t fit their setting, but he’d have to give him the luxury of getting away with it for now. After all, despite supposedly working under the same agency, they haven’t seen each other in a while. The lab analyst department has been having their plates full for the past weeks.

“Am I not allowed to be surprised? Just thought it was rare to find you here at this time is all.” Taiga said, though what he really wanted to say was that he had missed him. Hokuto could feel Taiga’s orbs running through his figure and eyeing his appearance. Perhaps, it really has been a while since they’ve met. The smell of his perfume was lulling a lot more than he had grown to control.

“Accompany me to dinner. My treat.” The blonde winked and his hands were searching his pockets for his keys. Hokuto frowned. “Some other time, Taiga.” He let a yawn slip. “I’m a little tired.”

“Knowing you, you probably haven’t even eaten since lunch. Now c’mon.” He shouldn’t have known that but he hit the nail on the head. Has he really become that predictable? Hokuto shakes his head and wraps a hand around his wrist, a little gesture that told him he wasn’t in the mood. “I really want to go home.” He says.

With a pout, Taiga’s shoulders fell but he understood immediately. “I can drive you home.” He offers. Now would be the best time, Hokuto thought. His body didn’t have the energy to commute home. He had been working for more than half a day after another unsatiating night, Hokuto reasoned. A voice in the back of his mind was reminding him that the feeling had been persisting since a week ago.

With a resigned sigh, Taiga led the way from the lobby to his parking spot. But not without stealing a peck on the other man’s lips when no one was around.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
“You owe me dinner next week, Hokuto!” The blonde shouted from inside his vehicle. Hokuto had just exited and was in front of the entrance door. “Just tell me when you’re free!” He shouted back. As soon as he had unlocked the door and stepped into his house, he gave one last look back at the man behind the lowered windows before he shut it close.

Slipping his shoes off and hanging his coat on the rack, his eyes were drawn to a dim light at the far left corner where the hall leading to his room was. Puzzled, he trod in that direction and confirmed that, indeed, he had left the light turned on the whole day.

It was odd, he thought. He never forgot such simple tasks that should have been automatic. It was uncharacteristic of him. To any ordinary person, this would have been trivial and easily attributed to forgetfulness. But Hokuto was always aware of his surroundings and that included basic day-to-day patterns. It came with the job too. Scowling at his own blunder, he looked through his room for any sign of a possible housebreaker or disturbance and found none. The curtains were met at the center and its absence of movement from the wind indicated that the windows were shut. Everything was in the right place from the time he left. Aside from the light, nothing felt out of the ordinary. Clicking his tongue with annoyance, a part of him was disappointed that there was no one to blame for the wasted electricity.

That was strike two for the day. First, it was losing awareness on the passage of time, and now it was this. Was it because his sleep had been unsatisfactory last night? Though he had just woken up two times in the middle of the night. As much as Hokuto valued his sleep, he was certain that minor interruptions like that weren’t supposed to affect him as much as this. Physically and mentally, he carried a notable strength and control. He was known for that. Years working in forensics had added to that. For someone who goes through detailed accounts on crimes and autopsies, Hokuto always slept through the night with a tranquility people wished they had after seeing photographs of bloody murder.

His annoyance produces another light throbbing in his temples.


	2. Dismay

After two nights comes another strange occurrence. Hokuto bolts awake in the middle of the night. It’s a lot different from the grace he often exudes even up to his waking moment. His breathing was uneven and his heart was beating against his rib cage too fast for comfort... It was all too sudden that it took a while for his body and his senses to calm down.

Rubbing his eyes to clear his vision, Hokuto turns his head to his bedside chest where his phone was perched on to check the time. The numbers display ‘02:37 AM’ and he groans.

He can’t tell if this was all caused by a bad dream; a single scene or fragment of it could not at all be recalled no matter how hard he tried. Whether or not it had been a bad dream, Hokuto knew himself well to know that his reaction and the discomfort pooling around his veins at that moment was unwanted.

Displeased that his slumber was disrupted, Hokuto breathed in and released a deep sigh. Flopping back down to his bed, he practically smothered his face with his pillow to block out any light from the shadows.

In the end, any attempts to regain his rest were futile. His eyes cracked open once more around 3:40 AM. By this time, Hokuto could recognize the unmistakable signs of restlessness. Thus, he chose to get up and lounge on his living room couch instead with a warm cup of green tea to soothe his sour mood. He’ll just have to wait for the crack of dawn.  
.  
.  
.  
.

The following nights have been a struggle. Sleep didn’t come as naturally and Hokuto had to wake up at least once. Although he was able to sleep again unlike the first night, as expected, an accumulation of disrupted rest manifested in his demeanor during the day. Anyone within his radius at work could feel how volatile he was, and no one but his second-in-command would dare to approach.

What Hokuto could not wrap his head around, however, was his current position this evening. With how frequent he roused, he wasn’t surprised by the act itself. What _was _concerning was where his body had ended up at. The moment his eyes opened, his blurred vision was assaulted by a bright light. Never one to leave the lights turned on at night, Hokuto blinked several times to focus his sight and process his environment. Instead of the soft cotton sheets beneath and the warm comforter overspreading his body, Hokuto’s fingers skimmed over the surface of where he laid and recognized the chenille of his couch. Eyebrows furrowing, he sat abruptly and scanned his surroundings to confirm his location. Blinking and rubbing his eyes again just to make sure, Hokuto took another look around and sincerely wished this was all a dream; he had no clue and plausible conclusion on how he was sleeping in his living room.__

__  
_ _

He was absolutely certain he had reached his bed that night despite exhaustion. He even remembered spending a few minutes on the phone with Taiga while lying down on his bed before he fell asleep. His memory rarely failed him so that was beyond question.

Suddenly having the urge to feel himself to see if he was in his own body, incredulity fills his system with his own doubts and reactions. He felt ridiculous. Of course, he was still in his own body -he can clearly even see he’s wearing the same sleepwear he prepared for the night. As unbelievable as he thought it sounded, he just had to accept the fact that perhaps he had been sleepwalking. But, really, it was easier said than done. Accepting that would mean accepting the fact that he had lost control of himself. The corners of his lips dipped to a frown at the idea.

His already foul mood dampens further when he sees the hands of the wall clock pointing to 3:18 AM.  
.  
.  
.  
.

“His profile is clear.”

“Doesn’t mean the possibility of being the perpetrator is erased.”

“Footage from outside the porch and from across the street shows no activity. Unless he came from the back door -which is, apparently clear of prints and whatnot-”

“I bet ya he landed from the roof.”

“Your bet ain’t shit! Then we'd at least have even the slightest prints on the windows. We’d see something on cams by now too!”

“Tell me again why it can’t be a suicide?”

“No suicide could be that elaborate. You think someone can gut through herself like that while her flesh is open and bleeding everywhere else? Whichever order comes first, she’s practically dead-”

A deafening slam of a door from across the hall shuts the group of enforcers up from their discussion, each of them flinching from the brewing storm in human shape inside his own office.

“If I were you guys, I wouldn’t be lounging near his space,” said a calm and soothing voice coming from behind them. The loud ones were often the newbies who have yet to understand the dynamics. “He’s rather extra crabby nowadays.”

Kochi Yugo, chief of the bureau, looks exactly the opposite of what one would imagine the chief to look like. With big eyes and a pleasant smile plastered on his face, it seemed as if he was lost or misplaced in a position too heavy for his bright character. If they didn’t know better, they could have mistaken him for the errand boy as he carries a tray of coffee. That thought, however, stays as the first impression. It all dies as soon as he’s on business mode and emanating an air of authority.

The newbies gulp as Kochi heads towards the slammed door and enters. Aside from Shintaro and the occasional blonde from the analyst department, only Kochi could handle the moody man.

“You should be a little nicer, you know,” Kochi says as he shuts the door softly. “Or else we’d be getting another set of resignation letters.” He places a manila folder on the side of Hokuto’s desk and offers him one of the coffee cups on the tray. Looking up from his laptop screen, Hokuto glowers behind his reading glasses at the drink being held to him.

“I don’t need it.” He almost sounded offended.

“You look like you need it.” Kochi was one of the few people who could talk to him like that, or actually dared to. When Hokuto didn’t look like he was going to receive the cup at all, Kochi gently placed it opposite to the folders on his desk. He walked all the way across the street to buy coffee specifically for him even when Kochi didn’t need one for himself. He knew his colleague preferred to drink tea brewed by Shintaro or himself, but Kochi figured it was necessary. And despite his words, Kochi knew Hokuto would eventually drink it when he leaves. The man hates unnecessary wastes.

“Have you been getting any rest at all?” Kochi questioned carefully. It was a stupid question because the dark circles contrasting against pale skin and the red and tired eyes behind the frames were indicative.

“Goddammit, Kochi. If you have nothing worthwhile to speak of, you may see yourself out.” Hokuto retorts, eyeing the door behind his boss. He wasn’t in the mood for another lecture. He could feel the shorter man trying to steal a glance at him and it was annoying. It wasn’t like he didn’t know his current state. He saw himself in the mirror every day.

“Hey, fuck yo-!” Kochi cuts himself and exhales sharply, trying to pay no mind to the other’s attempt to stray away from the topic. He takes a sip from his own coffee and winces when he burns his tongue. Then one of the reasons he came comes back to mind. “I bumped into Taiga earlier. He said you weren’t answering your phone so I’m here to play messenger.” Kochi caught the minuscule sign of interest in Hokuto’s expression upon mentioning his partner’s name. “He said he’ll be really busy for the next few weeks. Maybe a month, even. So I guess just do him a favor and not decline his invitation for dates and dinners when he’s free?” Hokuto raises a brow at that. He could imagine the blonde’s disappointment since they haven’t spent much time together at all. Plus there’s the fact that dinner didn’t happen a few days ago. Surely enough, there were a few notifications flashed on his phone screen. He hasn’t touched it in hours.

“Are you done here?” Hokuto questioned, the tone of his voice not at all hiding how he was slowly getting irked by the other’s presence. Kochi grumbles at his rudeness but he gets ready to leave anyway as he fixes his cup back on the tray. At least Hokuto was still the same old grump he knew. In some odd way, it was reassuring. While Hokuto returns to his work, Kochi slips out the door, but not without telling him to ‘ _get some fucking sleep, will you? _’__

__  
_ _

A few minutes pass since the chief left and Hokuto finally eyes the beverage to his right. He takes a sip and grimaces at the bitterness.


End file.
